Thursday, March 02, 2006

Justice Alito's allegiance to the anti-gay right

I knew we weren’t getting a friend on the Supreme Court when Samuel Alito was confirmed as a new justice, but I had hoped there was a chance he would attempt to appear fair and unbiased. Instead, I woke up to the news today that Alito is thanking his new best friend – a man who considers it evil for me, as a lesbian, to receive fair treatment under the law.

The revelation that Alito sent a nicely gushy thank-you note to anti-gay leader James Dobson certainly makes it clear that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered citizens can’t expect to receive a fair hearing before the country’s highest court. Dobson is the founder of the anti-gay Focus on the Family.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State Executive Director Barry Lynn called Alito’s note “grossly inappropriate.” 365gay.comsays Lynn noted that “it sounds like he’s carrying a right wing agenda instead of being a justice for all the people.”

The web site reports:

Lynn said the note can be interpreted as a pledge to rule as Dobson wants on key issues, such as gay marriage, abortion and church-state separation.

“This strongly suggests Alito is going to do just what he was entrusted to do - change the law dramatically in many key areas,” said Lynn, whose group, and all national LGBT rights groups, opposed Alito’s nomination.